How Probiotics Affect Your Digestive System
It is beneficial to maintain digestive health by taking probiotics, naturally occurring bacteria and/or yeasts in the body. Antibiotics, dietary changes, and infections can, however, kill them. Modern drugstores and supermarkets offer a wide variety of probiotic supplements. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the bacteria found in two of the most common probiotic supplements. In general, these products are intended to support digestive health, but can probiotics help with constipation? Probiotics and prebiotics are helpful for a healthy digestive system, and this article discusses which foods contain them. Before taking probiotic supplements at home, you should consult your healthcare provider.
What Are Probiotics and How Do They Work?
Some cultured foods contain probiotics, which are live microorganisms in the body. The microbiome supports several essential bodily functions and comprises bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. The gut (specifically the large intestine) contains most probiotics in the body, but they are also found in the mouth, vagina, urinary tract, skin, and lungs.
Probiotics maintain healthy bacteria levels in the body.
Foods That Naturally Contain Probiotics
Probiotics are also found in many foods.
By consuming certain foods that contain probiotics, you can increase the number of beneficial microbes in your body.
- Sourdough bread
- Raw and unpasteurised cheeses
- Kefir
- Yoghurt
- Buttermilk
- Tempeh
- Cottage cheese
- Kombucha
- Miso soup
- Fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi
Adding probiotics to your diet can help you maintain a healthy microbiome. Be sure to keep a balance between probiotic-rich foods and other kinds of foods.
What Are Prebiotics and Why Do They Matter
Prebiotics serve as food sources for good bacteria in the body and the gut. Oligosaccharide carbohydrates (OSCs) are the most common type of prebiotic. Taking probiotics along with prebiotics may be recommended for many people.
It is believed that prebiotics protect the cardiovascular system, the central nervous system, and the gastrointestinal system.
How Probiotics Affect Bowel Movements
In recent years, probiotics found in food and supplements have been touted as helping to support digestive health since most of the probiotics in the body live in the gastrointestinal tract.
Can Probiotics Help With Constipation?
Constipation treatment with probiotics is complex. In some systematic reviews and meta-analyses, probiotics have been found to improve stool frequency, consistency, and whole gut transit time (the time it takes for waste to become faecal matter and be eliminated). Furthermore, functional constipation may be treated with Bifidobacterium lactis (B. lactis), a probiotic. An earlier study showed that the same probiotic, B.lactis, was not effective for mild chronic constipation.
Both reports conclude that further studies are needed to understand the strain-specific effects of probiotics on constipation and recommend a specific probiotic for constipation.
Do Probiotics Help With IBS Symptoms?
In irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), probiotics have been shown to reduce pain and symptoms, but which strains and species are most effective remains unclear.
Probiotics can treat this and other gastroenteritis disorders, but more research is needed.
Probiotics for Diarrhoea and Gut Infections
Probiotics have shown great promise in treating diarrhoea caused by viral infections and antibiotics. Antibiotics and infection can disrupt the digestive system's natural balance of bacteria; probiotics can help restore it after that. People with ulcerative colitis, mild colitis flare-ups, and intestinal illnesses may benefit from probiotics.
When to Speak to a Doctor About Constipation
Many people will find it safe to experiment with probiotics since they are generally well-tolerated. Therefore, if you're considering taking probiotics for constipation, you should talk with your healthcare provider or dietitian first. Probiotics may also increase the risk of developing a severe infection in some immunocompromised individuals. People with cancer are especially at risk of infection or probiotic side effects. Probiotics may be contraindicated in premature infants, people with short bowel syndrome, patients with central venous catheters, and people with heart valve disease.
In addition, probiotics shouldn't be used to replace a visit with a healthcare professional in cases of symptoms like chronic constipation that are new or troubling. You should contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible if you have chronic constipation that doesn't respond to probiotic treatment or other lifestyle changes. Chronic constipation may signal something more serious.
You should seek emergency medical attention if any of the following symptoms occur:
- Severe, persistent stomach pain
- Black, tarry stools
- Slow reflexes
- Nausea
- Fevers
- Blood in stool
Probiotic Benefits for Digestive Health
| Condition | How Probiotics May Help | Common Strains Studied |
|---|---|---|
| Constipation | Improve frequency, soften stools | B. lactis, L. acidophilus |
| Diarrhoea (antibiotic-related) | Restore gut bacteria, reduce duration | L. rhamnosus, S. boulardii |
| IBS | Reduce bloating, cramping, and improve transit | Bifidobacterium infantis |
| Gut infections | Rebalance microbiome, relieve inflammation | Varies by condition |
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